You all have seen me link to Montessori Services time and time again. Why? Because I believe they are - without a doubt - the best place to get everything you need to complete and compliment your prepared environment. I'm talking about those wonderful details like baskets, tongs, trays, mats, & pouring kits. It's been my go-to place for those kinds of things ever since I heard about Montessori Services from the Directress at that the top Montessori school here on the island - she orders from them exclusively!

You'll see the materials I've purchased from Montessori Services & For Small Hands peppered throughout our shelves. I could go on and on raving about each and every thing we've ordered, but instead here's just a sample of my absolute favorites:

We love this gorgeous cobalt blue pouring set. Maria Montessori believed a child's environment should contain beautiful things. This set of carved glass is just that. And it's just the right size for little hands.

MANY of you have asked where I find the tiny objects included in my alphabet box. Among resourcing my own personal collection of odds and ends, I look to Montessori Services to supply some of the particularly cute objects, such as these.

You all know my love of baskets and bowls. The reed baskets shown above, and these tiny maple bowls have been a mainstay on my shelves. They are just the right size for holding small objects for counting and sorting activities.

And last, but not at all least, these space flashcards. As a family of space geeks, James has multiple sets of space cards, but these are by far his favorite! The colors are vibrant, the photos are real, and the cards are thick and sturdy. Good stuff!

Now for the giveaway! Montessori Services has offered to gift one of my readers a $50 gift certificate!! Wahoo!

Here's how you can enter to win:Mandatory entry:1. Leave a comment on this post.

Extra entries:2. Visit Montessori Services or For Small Hands and leave me a separate comment letting me know your favorite thing in their store.3. Like Counting Coconuts on Facebook and leave me a separate comment on this post letting me know you have/already do.4. Follow Counting Coconuts and leave me a separate comment on this post letting me know you have/already do.5. After today come back and leave me one comment per day on this post until the end of the giveaway.

A couple of notes::: All comments are moderated - they will NOT appear immediately after you post them.:: Do not leave your entry comments on the Counting Coconuts Facebook page - they will not be included.:: Regarding separate comments - each entry will be counted as a chance to win. If you put all of your entry requirements into just ONE comment, you'll only have ONE chance to win.

This giveaway ends at 9pm (Atlantic Time) on Saturday, March 3rd. The winner will be announced the following day.

This one is easy. I want the Melody Harp. My son watched a young lady play the harp at our church and was mesmerized. Since then he is convinced he will play the harp one day too. This would be a great toy because he is only 4 :) A little too young for a real harp.

Hi :) I like your blog very much and I'm searching the materials for our home classroom :) I wanted to start by practical life exercices and you just gave me a really great place to shop :) Thank you soo much :)

LOVE Montessori Services/For Small Hands! In our last order for our homeschool we had such an ecletic mix of things from glass droppers to a push broom and everything was so amazingly well packed. I have never seen a package where so much attention is given to making sure everything arrived in perfect condition - to me that says a lot about the company as a whole! My daughters and I love to look through their catalog together.

I visited the store and was going to say I wanted the flocked letters, since we don't have sandpaper letters and my son has a heckuva time writing letters that look like anything. I think those would really help. Then I saw a comment about the melody harp and that sounds even better. :)

I love sooo much at MS/FSH... but one of the things that has caught my eye lately is the spiderweb frame. I have been trying to plan out a new garden/play area for my daughters, and I think that would be a really neat addition.

I love your blog and I love Montessori Services! Many nights I just read through their catalog and go "pretend shopping" - what fun it would be to really go shopping! Thank you for this opportunity! I'll be back to post again :) - Krista

Boy oh boy it is difficult to choose just one favorite from their site but I have been trying to bring more art into the parent + child program that I run and would just love to be able to splurge on the Beeswax Crayon Blocks ~ Set of 16. There is something so special about giving children beautiful things to make art! Thanks for the opportunity!

As for what I'd like from them...that's hard....I think I'd go with the phonetic object box, or maybe a few random objects for my alphabet boxes. I have a good collection of my own but there are some gaps!!

Love your site...I believe this is the first time I've ever commented, but just wanted to say that you've inspired me to get started with a Montessori education for our youngest. Our oldest child went to Montessori and is currently in public school...since I've decided to quit my job and stay at home, we don't have the funds to send our youngest to Montessori, so I'm excited about working with him, myself and I find your blog hugely inspiring. Even to the point of potentially homeschooling our oldest beginning next year. We'll see. :)

I have recently set up a Montessori station for my 1 1/2 year old. And, although I wondered if he's too young to grasp all of the principles, I figured you can never start too early! The other day, I quickly selected an activity to get him started on, and he said "No, no!". He ran over to get his Montessori mat so that he could do the activity on it! It was a wonderful moment that reinforced to me - nothing you do for your child is in vain. I'd love to get some trays and more activities for my son and his younger sister (8 mo.) with this gift certificate.

Today's comment - one of the many items I would love to purchase from FSH is the Japanese Brush painting set. I would really like to set up a peace table in our home... but more for my daughters to have a spot to calm themselves than for conflict resolution. I think the Japanese brush set would be perfect!

I loved browsing the site and now I really hope I win because there are several things I want. At this point I'm leaning towards garden tools since I want to start a vegetable garden this spring with my son, but then he was trying to tong with something that wasn't tongs this morning.

i just wrote about for small hands on my own blog and came across this post on yours. (I reblogged your post at http://iheartmontessori.wordpress.com) thanks for a great giveaway!i adore all the child-sized tools on their site, and just ordered the watering can, gardening tool set, and small push broom. i hope to win so i can order some of the kitchen tools like the cutting tools, chefs hat and apron, and the small utensil set.

i went to montessori services (for the first time) and appreciated their prices on things. some of the basics (the floor mats) are things i have been looking for as well as the science cards of the solar system. thanks for introducing that website. those were some of my favorites that i have wanted to get. thanks again for the giveaway!noelle

Separate comment #2: How can I choose just ONE favorite item from Montessori Services? That's impossible. But if I absolutely have to, it would be their small, child-size broom. It is used many, many times a day in our home and loved by all the children who visit. Thank you!

I LOVE the learning tower and wish we had a place for one. I also really like the cobalt pouring set you pictured, we call my daughter the mad scientist because she is always pouring and mixing things.

I absolutely L-O-V-E Montessori Services, we buy so much of our children's gifts from there, and they have loved every single thing. Just this morning they have used the small pitcher to pour their drink for both meals, and many of the baskets where various toys are!Sarah M